Peppermint Mocha Ice Cream Sandwiches

This last week things have turned cold here. The studded tires are on the car, the roads are icy, my trip between the front door and the car has moved from a leisurely stroll to something that can only be described as a zombie shamble sprint (hey, it may be cold, but that doesn’t mean I’m fully awake in the mornings… although the icy sprint usually does the trick…)… suffice to say… winter. WINTER.

Something that SEEMS appealing in the summer but once it’s here… nope. Noppity nope nope. Unless you’re inside and you ain’t got no place to go. Then, and only then, let it snow, snow, SNOW.

Now, in the States, we all know what the beginning of winter means: peppermint mocha. Oh sweet delicious peppermint mocha. Can it get any better than chocolate, peppermint, and coffee?! No. Just no. No it can’t. But, with the nearest Starbucks an 8 hour drive away, we have to get our peppermint mocha kick other ways in this corner of the world.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat your butter until smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until creamy. Add the eggs, espresso powder, and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. A half cup at a time, add your baking cocoa and flour, mixing between each new addition until just combined. Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and allow to cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350F/175C and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out your dough to about ½" thick, and cut out your cookies. You can really make them as big or small as you want, just be sure to adjust your baking time accordingly (mine are 3" across). Bake your cutouts for 6-10 minutes (depending on size) until no longer shiny on top.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, fill them with your peppermint ice cream. If you want nice, neat circles of ice cream, melt your ice cream and spread it evenly in a plastic wrap lined 9"x13" dish. Using the same cookie cutter you used to cut out your cookies, cut out your ice cream. Sandwich the ice cream between two cookies, and dip in melted chocolate if you'd like. Garnish with crushed peppermint.